Automobile-tire protector.



J. G. ANTHONY. AUTOMOBILE TIRE PROTECTOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1909.

964:,368 Patented July 12, 1910.

an aocoo ooono v oocoaon concoc upper end of the bracket -8 can bemanipulated so pa rs s JOSEPH G. ANTHONY, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE-TIRE PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1910.

Application filed May 5, 1909. Serial No. 494,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPII G. ANTHONY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michiganhave'invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Tire Protectors,of which the following is a specification.

An object of my invention is to provide an endless belt adapted to beengaged with an. automobile wheel and with a pulley disposed immediatelyabove the wheel, and to further provide simple and novel means formoving the pulley toward or away from the wheel so as to obtain theproper adjustment of the said endless belt and to securely hold the samein its operative position with respect to the tire.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of theinvention is better set forth, and it will be understood that changeswithin the scope of the claim may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

In the drawing, forming a portion of this specification and in whichlike characters of reference indicate similar parts in the severalviews: Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile wheel showing myimproved tire protector engaged therewith. Fig. 2 is an end view of theautomobile wheel and tire protector. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevationof a portion of the armor.

Referring now more particularly to the rawing, there is shown anautomobile wheel A of usual construct-ion supported in any suitablemanner upon an axle B. An L-shaped bracket 1 extends upwardly in avertical plane from the axle B and is disposed inwardly of the wheel Aas clearly shown. The bracket 1 is provided adjacent to its upper endwith a clamping bolt 2 which'extends through an elongated slot 3 formedin a member t which latter has an outwardly extending portion. 5provided with a forked end 6 disposed immediately above the wheel A. Theforked portion 6 has revolubly mounted between its arms a spherical body7 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. The member tcarries an adjusting screw 8, the lower extremity of which being engagedwith the 1 so that when the clamping bolt 2 is loosened the said screwas to move the member 4 vertically and to adjust the portion 6 toward oraway from the said wheel.

A protecting element 9 is employed and preferably consists of an endlessbelt of pliable material adapted to partly surround the tire of thewheel A, and as shown the said belt or protecting element is passed overthe spherical body 7 carried by the member 4. The protecting element orbelt 9 is provided along its longitudinal edges with scalloped portions10 and between which are arranged a plurality of loops 11 through whicha chain or other flexible element 12 is passed. The chains are eachprovided at one end with a snap hook 13 adapted to be engaged with alink of the chain for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.In placing the protecting element or belt 9 upon the wheel A and therevoluble object 7, the snap hooks 13 are released from links of thechains 12 and the member 4 is moved downwardly so that the object 7 liesclose to the tire of the wheel, afterwhich, the belt or protectingelement 9 can be effectively placed in position. To retain the belt orprotecting element in a concavo-convex form transversely the sna hooksmay be locked or engaged with links of the chains 12. After the belt 9has been engaged with the wheel and with the body 7 the screw 8 can bemanipulated so as to move the member 4t upwardly causing the body 7 tomove away from the wheel A, thus providing means for obtaining thedesired tension on said belt. To prevent skidding I preferably providethe belt or element 9 upon its tread surface with a plurality of headedstuds or rivets 14.

A protector as herein shown and described is simple in construction, andmay be applied to vehicle wheels of various forms wherein are employedpneumatic or cushion tires, and when in use the protector willefiectively prevent skiddinig, and will not only protect the tread surace of the tires with which it is engagedbut in view of the peculiarshape of the protecting element or belt transversely it is obvious thatthe sides of the tire will also be protected and held against injuryincident to its coming in contact with obstructions or with curves orthe like.

In a device of the character herein set forth it is absolutely essentialthat means be employed for preventing sagging of the protecting belt 9,hence the provision of the hereinbefore described chains 12 which areengaged with the loops 11 formed upon the marginal edges of the saidprotecting belt. These chains, as stated are provided with link engagingclasps which may be moved into their inoperative or disengaged positionsso as to permit the protecting belt to be removed bodily from one sideof the vehicle wheel and the belt supporting revoluble body.

I claim:

In a device of the class described, a vehicle axle having asubstantially L-shaped bracket secured thereto, a cushion-tired wheelmounted on the axle at one side of the bracket, a clamping boltextending latcrally from the bracket, a slotted member engaged with theclamping bolt for vertical sliding movement thereon, said member havingan outwardly curved portion whose extremity is formed to provide afork-shaped bearing, a roller mounted between the arms of the fork anddisposed immediately above the wheel on the axle, an adjusting screwmounted in the member to revolve therein and having, its lower endengaged with the upper extremity of the bracket so that when the screwis operated the member can be moved vertically, and a protecting beltextending over the roller and partly around the cushion surface of thewheel.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH G. ANTHONY. lVitnesses EDWARD riN'ri-IoNY, Mrs. JAMEs ANTHONY.

